WC govt calls for expansion of Cape Town International Airport to cope with soaring tourist numbers

JOHANNESBURG - The Western Cape government said that the Cape Town International Airport needed to be expanded due to soaring tourism numbers.

The airport saw over 160,000 international visitors in December last year, a twelve-year high.

The international corridor falls under Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), of which 74.6% is owned by the South African government.

Speaking at the State of the Province Address on Wednesday, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said that the provincial government was expecting more international and domestic tourists over the next few years.

"We are at capacity and now we need infrastructure investment to enlarge it. This is largely due to the Cape Air Access Initiative, which we know has been running for quite a few years but has seriously paid off dividends - seven new airlines through seven new routes are touching down in the Western Cape, with one million inbound seats."